A follower of Guru Nanak can never support Khalistan. The Sikh community, which always speaks for the welfare of humanity and empathizes with the suffering of others, prays for the well-being of the entire creation every time they do an Ardas (prayer). Such a community cannot even think of disrespecting another religion or damaging its religious places. History also mentions that in ancient times, when the Mughal rulers forcibly took over the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram, the Hindu community sought assistance from Guru Gobind Singh Ji to reclaim it. In response, Guru Ji sent a battalion of Nihang Sikhs who freed the place, allowing the Hindu community to resume worship there. During the construction and inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Sikh community even organized langar (community kitchens). Sikhs from both India and abroad visit the temple for darshan (pilgrimage).
However, recently, Khalistani supporter Gurpatwant Pannu, sitting in Canada, made a statement threatening to harm the Ram Temple in Ayodhya to create a rift between the Hindu and Sikh communities. Sikhs in India strongly condemned his remarks, as they rightly should. Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, Iqbal Singh Lalpura, said that Sikhs are known to construct temples, not to destroy or harm them, and anyone who thinks otherwise cannot be considered a Sikh. History also testifies that Sikh rulers funded the construction of Hindu temples. During the Khalsa Raj, Maharaja Ranjit Singh donated gold equal to that of Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) for the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
A question arises: why do a handful of people like Pannu make such statements from abroad? Perhaps it’s because they lack the courage to come to India and demand Khalistan. In India, no Sikh supports the Khalistan movement. Sikh cell leader Ravinder Singh Rehanshi believes that if Sikhs had wanted Khalistan, they could have taken it at the time of India’s independence in 1947. But the bond between Sikhs and Hindus is like that of nail and flesh—inseparable.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Khalsa Vox or its members.
